Instant Pot Chicken and Orzo – Simple, Easy & Flavorful

A plate of instant pot chicken and orzo

A few days ago, I asked the members of Hungry Six’s Recipe Swap what type of kitchen gadget they just couldn’t live without. So many people love their Instant Pots! I already had an Instant Pot, and I had used it several times, to make things like my carnitas, but people were just raving about how they used theirs to make all kinds of things. Someone was saying that she made pasta in hers, and I started to have doubts. I mean, the pasta has to be overcooked and an awful texture, right? Anyways, I had some chicken that I needed to use and some orzo left from a failed recipe attempt. I decided to create something based on those two things. This Instant Pot Chicken and Orzo was born, and it is so easy and delicious!

If you are not familiar with orzo, it is a short cut pasta that is just a little larger than a grain of rice. I am a fan of this one, but it is available in almost all grocery stores. Feel free to use another pasta for this recipe if you have a hard time finding orzo.

Products I recommend for this recipe:

If you do not already have an Instant Pot, I have and love this one, it is the perfect size for my large family, and it has just the right amount of “functions” for what I am doing.

How to Make This Recipe:

Making this Instant Pot Chicken and Orzo is incredibly simple. You will start by putting everything except for the parsley, lemon juice and cheese in the instant pot. Place the lid on, seal the vent and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes (the pot will take about 10-15 minutes to pressurize). Do a natural release for 10 minutes, and then do a quick release. Break the chicken up a little, add in the rest of the ingredients and allow it to rest and thicken for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Chicken and Orzo

An incredibly easy and flavorful chicken and orzo recipe with a delicious creamy sauce with a hint of lemon.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: chicken, Cream, easy, instant pot, lemon, Orzo, parmesan
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 507kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups orzo pasta uncooked
  • cups chicken broth low sodium
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 4 chicken breasts approx. 1.5lbs
  • 2 tbsp parsley
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions

  • To the instant pot, add the butter, garlic, orzo, chicken broth and heavy cream. Mix together. Season the chicken breasts with the salt, pepper and lemon pepper. Place the chicken on top of the pasta mixture. Place the top on the instant pot and move the vent to the "seal" position. Turn the pot on and select pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
  • The pot will take approximately 10-15 minutes to reach pressure, and then the cook cycle will last 5 minutes. Allow the pot to naturally release for 10 minutes, and then do a quick release.
  • Use two forks to break the chicken up slightly. Add in the parsley, lemon juice and parmesan cheese. Mix together and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Sodium: 1261mg | Calcium: 146mg | Vitamin C: 20.5mg | Vitamin A: 625IU | Sugar: 2g | Fiber: 2g | Potassium: 810mg | Cholesterol: 139mg | Calories: 507kcal | Saturated Fat: 9g | Fat: 18g | Protein: 43g | Carbohydrates: 41g | Iron: 1.7mg

4 thoughts on “Instant Pot Chicken and Orzo – Simple, Easy & Flavorful”

  1. I have had my Instant Pot for a year and this was the first burn notice I received. Not only one, but 3 times (stopping and clearing the bottom each time) before I finally turned it off. This to me is a failed recipe.

    Reply
    • I am so sorry this happened to you, Amy. I have not personally have this issue, but I am going to do some research and try to figure out how to avoid it. Thank you so much for your feedback!

      Reply
  2. This was so good! I wound up adding a small bundle of broccoli rabe that needed to be eaten, so i added another 1/2 cup of broth. I finished it with lots of lemon zest. Really excellent, and so easy for a busy mom!

    Reply
  3. Hi Regan: I made this less than a week ago and it was soooooo good it exceeded my expectations. The only ingredient I left out was parsely, and I did thighs, not breasts. My success rate with chicken and Instant Pot has been a bit hit-or-miss, but in this case it was a hit! And there was nothing about it that made it an obvious Instant Pot meal. Looking forward to making this again soon.

    Reply

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